Blues for beginners?

[fuel925]

By beginner, I mean beginner to blues, not beginner to the piano im a grade 6 pianist, but ive never played any blues, and I want to try my hand at some. Can anyone please suggest some popular catchy ones for me to try? Nothing too difficult though because im new to the genre

Thanks for the help!

[silva]

I suppose you will know of the standard twelve bar

C C C C

F F C C

G F C C

learn the blues scales, thats flatted 3rd 5th and 7th

so the C scale turns in C Eb F Gb G Bb C

C and G are very similar

B is the oddest being B D E F Gb A B

there are some terrific books out there.... one by Martann Mann which is good but another by Hal Leonard which in my opinion is better.

Learn all 12 blues scales off by heart and practice soloing to straight triads in the base - even using only C Gb and Eb can make a really cool bluesy sound

Listen to blues piano players, have you seen piano blues directed by Clint Eastwood? it has all the legends of Blues and Jazz (Variation of Jump Blues) Ray Charles, Otis Spann, Dr. John, Jay McShann, Dave Brubeck, Art Tatum, Thelonius Monk etc.

In my opinion there are two types of blues piano players, players Like Ray Charles who  rarely used 12 bar when soloing, of course 12 bar doesnt have to be the fixture I stated above it could be mixed up to have (for example)

C F C C

F F F C

G F C G

there are limitless possibilities........

The other type of blues players are the real moody blues, Otis Spann etc.

Start with a static base (triads) and then move to larger chords such as C7 F7 and G7

then start with a moving base.....

Really the scales are most important, Im sure you will pick them up quickly as you are Grade 6 and Im not any grade lol.....

hope this was useful

- Silva

[ryno200sx]

More on the Blues Scale.........

Description of the Blues scale

The Blues scale consists of 6 different notes.
They are the 5 notes of the minor pentatonic scale, plus one additional note.

The note added is the diminished 5th (o5) measured from the scale tonic.
For example :

adding to the C minor pent. scale : C - Eb - F - G - Bb - C 
the diminished 5th - Gb

produces the C Blues scale : C - Eb - F - Gb - G - Bb - C


In relation to the Major scale the notes of the Blues scale are : 1 - b3 - 4 - b5 - 5 - b7 - 1.

The b3, b5 and b7 notes of the scale (for C Blues scale : Eb, Gb and Bb) are the so called blue notes of the scale.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the Blues scales in all 12 keys listed in Circle of Fifths order.

C Blues scale
C - Eb - F - Gb - G - Bb - C

G Blues scale
G - Bb - C - Db - D - F - G

D Blues scale
D - F - G - Ab - A - C - D

A Blues scale
A - C - D - Eb - E - G - A

E Blues scale
E - G - A - Bb - B - D - E

B Blues scale
B - D - E - F - F# - A - B

F# and Gb Blues scales
F# - A - B - C - C# - E - F#
Gb - A - B - C - Db - E - Gb

Db and C# Blues scales
Db - E - Gb - G - Ab - B - Db
C# - E - F# - G - G# - B - C#

Ab Blues scale
Ab - B - Db - D - Eb - Gb - Ab

Eb Blues scale
Eb - Gb - Ab - A - Bb - Db - Eb

Bb Blues scale
Bb - Db - Eb - E - F - Ab - Bb

F Blues scale 
F - Ab - Bb - B - C - Eb - F
 
The website I took this from did not have these written as music for some reason, but at least all of the scales are here.

Thanks,
Ryan

[bernhard]

Listen to blues piano players, have you seen piano blues directed by Clint Eastwood? it has all the legends of Blues and Jazz (Variation of Jump Blues) Ray Charles, Otis Spann, Dr. John, Jay McShann, Dave Brubeck, Art Tatum, Thelonius Monk etc.

That is really interesting. I am a great admirer of Clint , but I had never heard of this movie. Is it a documentary? Can you give more details?

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[cossie0]

It was on Uk TV a few months ago on BBC2 i think around the start of the new year and was superb. I recorded it on my Sky+ and kept it for weeks. I really wish I could play like them guys. Only been learnng a few months. Maybe one day 

[puma]

    Also of interest are the Major Pentatonic scales (blues players will use them sometimes - Jimi Hendrix comes to mind):  Basically take any major scale and take out the 4th and 7th notes.  Or 12356.  Example: C major would be CDEGA. Repeat ad inifinitum.  I won't talk about the blues minor scales since they've been talked about, but just one thing to keep in mind - The sharp 4, or flat fifth, that you add into the minor pentatonic to get the blues scale, is also the tritone of the root.  So that little fact may help you out.
    Bass lines: Probably more complicated than the melody, these bass lines consist of either regular triads, fourths, fifths, or tritones.  The 12-bar progression I I I I IV IV I I V IV I V is used often.  You can also add in sevenths, chromatics, and octaves for color.  Chromaticisms are used A LOT in blues.  That sharp 4, or tritone, you hear in the melody is characteristic of the blues scale, but also, blues players will approach notes using chromatics to get an additional blues feel.  Honestly, I don't know much theory about the bass when it comes to blues, I know most of what I play by ear.  Here's an example:
     7-b8-8-1 (Bb-B-C-C) 
Another bass line:
1-8-3-10-5-12-7-14-8-15-7-14-5-12-3-10-1-8. (Or think octaves ascending in a seventh chord pattern, up and down the chord)
      There's also oom-pah and walking bass, do a search and you'll find out more about these styles (which also have been used in jazz as well).
      Other posters have listed some excellent artists to listen to regarding the blues - this will help you the most, IMO.
       I'm still learning blues myself, there's a lot to learn, but you should get a lot of mileage from the stuff that's been posted.  Listen and learn.  One of the key things about blues is improvisation.  The blues is the one place where you can improvise in one key, on the same chord progression, until the cows come home.
       Btw, the fingering for the scales can usually be reduced to 12312 and repeat for the minor and major pentatonics.  For blues scale itself, try 123412 and repeat.
   

[silva]

Bernard if you use ebay just search for piano blues in dvd or use kelkoo.com? they have it there most times....

It is a fantastic dvd with some great piano playing and some ooooooold footage

- Silva

[torchygirl]

Oh, for gosh sake you guys, for all the links Bernhard provides us with, I think we could give him one back:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/music/features/blues.shtml

See the entry under "Piano Blues - Clint Eastwood."  (This advice wasn't for you Bernhard...I'm sure you'd find it! )

Karen

[silva]

heres another

https://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/057781/details.html

[bernhard]

Thanks a lot guys!